Opinion: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey appears to have relied heavily on CGI and accents, despite his love of practical effects
Last updated: 7 May 2026
While I appreciate the effort, there’s something missing from Christopher Nolan’s new trailer for The Odyssey. Ah yes, that’s it — practical effects. For the most part, his rendition of the old tale tracks as a spectacle, but in the film business, one thing can bring it down. In this case, it’s a few.
The Good, The Bad and The CGI and Accents
The framing, cinematography and choices made to make it his own, appears far from stagnant, though this is overshadowed by much more.
Swirling whirlpools, CGI giants, and more prove that Nolan’s strong suit is clearly not computer effects. Despite its legendary status — and rightly so — The Dark Knight’s own CGI felt counterintuitive to the dimensions of the film, and thank goodness it was only few and far between. That appears to be playing out on a grander scale in The Odyssey, where Nolan promised (without saying) that he would deliver an epic movie. However, the trailer tells a different story.
RELATED STORY: The Odyssey — Everything You Need To Know
One of the most jarring aspects of the trailer is that it’s riddled with American accents. While there’s nothing wrong with that, this is a Greek fable, and if an ounce of authenticity is to be retained, British accents would do better. What’s worse, the cast is populated with actors from the Isles, who give it their best in rendering a USA dialect like they’re auditioning for their next part. Remember Kevin Costner as Robin Hood? Yeah, that didn’t go down well either.
Our Verdict
One can argue that the trailer is never the finished product; I counter with: yes, it is. Nolan is famously a perfectionist and would never let a bad promo for a movie be released for fear it will hurt the project’s reputation. So, the fact it already doesn’t hold up on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone is telling.
Leave a Reply